The Broom Cupboard
by LoveHP
Summary: The War is over and Voldemort is gone and now the living are left to pick up the broken pieces. Ginny thought Harry would kiss her and tell her how much he missed her. She was dead wrong! They all had demons to fight now. This is the second one shot of The Reading Room arc, in which Ginny reads the Life and Lies of Dumbledore chapter about Harry. Please Read and Review.


**The Broom Cupboard**

_This is the second one shot in The Reading Room arc._

_The Reading Room  
_

_The Broom Cupboard_

_The Makeshift Nursery (to be published)_

* * *

I don't own Harry Potter, JKR does.

* * *

The hardest part had been saying goodbye. Though now Ginny Weasley felt she could begin to move on, with one little step at a time of course.

She watched her brother, George, sitting by the fireplace, pale and quiet, nodding his head to whatever Lee Jordan was saying. Ginny's brother Ron was also with him, keeping a close eye. George's healing would take longer she thought sadly as she moved over to the table filled with food. Losing a sibling to the War was worse than hard… but losing a twin, as George had, would be like having a part of your soul ripped from your body.

Her brother Fred had been finally laid to rest at Ottery St Catchpole's little wizard cemetery, five days after he had died during the Battle of Hogwarts. His body had been placed in one of the Burrow's rooms, washed and nicely dressed in his finest wizard robes. People from all over the country; friends, family and even admirers of Fred and George's business, the Weasley Wizard Wheezes, had paid their respects in viewing his body. Some had brought flowers for the Weasleys and some laid their bouquets near Fred's body. Others brought signs and cards; some funny, some sad. Wizard Weasley Wheezes products adorned around Fred and were spilling out of his pockets. And an anonymous person had placed a toilet seat between his hands, until Ginny's mother took it away.

Now most of the two hundred family, cousins, distant cousins, close family friends, DA, Order of the Phoenix members and Ministry of Magic officials crammed into the Burrow for a moment of sombre tea, before heading off home, to work, or perhaps to another funeral.

Funerals… That's all that seemed to fill the void now, and for a few days more after the fall of the Dark wizard, Voldemort. Or for some, their vigil surrounding the beds of the injured and the tortured or the speaking with those who had been innocently imprisoned or oppressed would continue once they've left the Burrow.

The world around Ginny was broken and the living were left to pick up the pieces and carry on. But how could you when you just don't know where to begin? The destruction around her was more than just physical. It ran deeper than that. It was now a spreading disease that would not heal for a long time to come.

Ginny turned around as she filled her plate, craning her head over the sea of red-haired cousins, all clad in black, trying to locate Harry Potter again. But all she saw was the tight throng of people, holding their plates of food, their whispers hanging in the air of the living room.

She breathed in, moving across the room to have a second look for Harry. At the funeral she had briefly spotted him in the back row surrounding the coffin. He had arrived late with Hermione Granger and Andromeda Tonks with baby Teddy. Ginny only knew that he had arrived by the wave of_ Harry Potter is here_ whispers that travelled around her. He stood quietly, disregarding the looks of awe and admiration from the people around him. Ginny noted how uncomfortable he was with it all, with all the staring. He had never been used to it, but it was now much worse than ever. Neville and Luna had arrived with them as well, happy to stand further behind the star attraction that was Harry Potter.

Now Ginny guessed that Harry, Hermione and now Ron, who seemed to have disappeared from the living room, were sitting somewhere in private, away from the gawking and fawning and the never-ending whispers. She longed to join them… but deep down, even though she was close to them - each in their own individual way, she felt uncomfortable intruding in their tight knit friendship. The war changed things. They weren't children and friends at Hogwarts now. They had experienced far too much to be kids anymore.

Ginny waved to Neville who was speaking with Kingsley Shacklebolt, the newly inaugurated Minister of Magic, as she squeezed past a pair of tall old wizards, deep in dispute about the Elder Wand. Ginny noted that Neville's battered face and body looked much better and healing well. The Currows may be gone, the snake, Nagini, dead, but Neville would have his own demons to eradicate now.

Ginny also saw Headmistress McGonagall and Professor Flitwick whispering near the fireplace. As she past Dean Thomas, she caught a few words he was discussing with Bill and Fleur, something about the now increasingly more strained and turbulent goblin- wizard relationship caused by Harry breaking into Gringotts.

Her mother and father were speaking with Great Aunt Muriel: Ginny quickly walked away from them. The last thing she wanted was to have a conversation with her great aunt, after spending weeks at her house with her exhaustingly eccentric regime and having been forced to read to her aunt, _The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore_. It was a foul book written by Rita Skeeter and Ginny didn't know what to think of it, especially the chapter about Harry and Dumbledore.

As Ginny nibbled on a mini quiche, she spotted Andromeda Tonks feeding baby Teddy with formula milk in the far corner. People had seemed to have made a clearing around Mrs Tonks. Perhaps it was her close resemblance to Bellatrix Lestrange that put everyone off. She was after all, Bella's sister, who had been a sadistic, creepy Death Eater before Ginny's mother had finished her off. However, Ginny couldn't help notice how pale and peaky Mrs Tonks looked. Her red eyes were constantly teary.

It was only yesterday Ginny was at Remus and Tonks's funerals, their deaths so raw it burnt the joy of having their little baby, who was less than a month old. Even hauntingly more so, Ginny remembered four days before, hearing Mrs Tonks's anguished cry when she had entered the chamber off the Great Hall where the dead had been laid to rest in. The hollow guttural cries she had made when she had witnessed the body of her daughter made Ginny sick to her stomach. Her cry echoed even now like a teasing ghost. Ginny shook the feeling of horror off.

"Did you hear what happened to Harry Potter last night?"

Ginny bit into her corned beef and mustard sandwich, ears strained towards this developing conversation. That's all everyone was talking about: _Harry Potter_. It had been days since the War ended, but Harry Potter's story, although still vague to the point of the Gringott's Robbery, hadn't given his side of the story yet. Even Ron and Hermione hadn't said a word about it, choosing only to give details on the final battle itself.

Ginny had no time to ask, because the day after the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry left Hogwarts. He had woken from a near twenty hour slumber, his wounds treated, had breakfast in the Great Hall, then shook Mr Weasley's hand, gave Ginny, her mother and George a long condoling hug for the loss of Fred Weasley. He found Mrs Tonks in the chamber with the dead and had a few heartfelt words with her. She cried onto his shoulder, startling him. Then he had left Hogwarts with Hermione, Ron and McGonagall. They had been escorted from the castle by Minister Shacklebolt with a guard of twelve Aurors to a secret location outside of the Ministry, for a debriefing on the events leading to the downfall of Voldemort. Though what was uttered behind closed doors was not known at present. Only rumours made their rounds.

Ginny and her family left Hogwarts that day as well. The war was over. Parts of the castle lay in ruins, dust swirled over them and too much death was around them.

When Ron returned from the intensive debrief to the Burrow five hours later, Harry and Hermione had not come with him. Ron said that they didn't want to intrude in the Weasleys grief. Her mother seemed offended, reinstating the fact that Harry and Hermione were part of the family. But Ginny rolled her eyes thinking, _always so bloody modest, Harry_.

Ron then told them that his best friends were going to stay with Andromeda Tonks. Now, describing that their mother was unhappy at this little detail would have been an understatement. She was absolutely livid.

Ron backed away from his mother's fury and said quickly, that Hermione had felt that Andromeda needed their help seeing her so distraught at Hogwarts. Their help was more important since she had lost most of her family, and that she was burying her daughter and son-in-law who had left behind a small baby to look after.

Anyway, that was what Ron told them. But Ginny suspected that there was more to the story. She later found out that Harry had been reluctant at first to go lend Mrs Tonks a hand, but he knew he had an obligation seeing that he was Teddy Lupin's Godfather. So at night he slept at Andromeda's, but by day he was helping out at Hogwarts with the rebuilding with any spare time he had Then there were the numerous visits to the Ministry he made to tie up lose ends.

The only other time she had seen Harry in person was at Remus and Tonk's funeral the morning before. They only managed to say 'hi' to each other before he was herded off, again rather reluctantly, by Kingsley, for another meeting. Other than those one word sentences they had uttered to each other, the only news Ginny received about Harry was from Ron and her parents and News articles about Harry.

He was a busy man indeed.

"No… so what happened to him?" another woman whispered. "Is he all right?"

"He was chasing Death Eaters that had been trapped at Hogwarts, and one of them hit him with some awful curse. Apparently he was out cold for awhile and lost a lot of blood. I'm very surprised he turned up to Fred's—."

Ginny whipped her long red hair around as she turned; making sure some of it caught the witch in her face.

"Margaret, how do you know about this?" Ginny asked, recognising the witch as her distant cousin. After all, Ginny was sure her father would've told her straight away if Harry had been injured.

Both cousins looked alarmed.

"Oh I forgot, you_ had_ been going out with him, Ginevra," Margaret snidely remarked.

"We _are_ taking a break! If you haven't already noticed, he was trying to save the world this past year, so he obviously didn't have the time to pop over and snog me!"

Ginny huffed and stormed off, plate of nibbles tightly clenched in her hand. She smacked into a body without realising where she was going, the sandwiches and the variety of pastries toppled to the floor. But it jolted her out of her murderous mood. She had half a mind to turn back and shove a dozen sandwiches down Margaret's throat. When she looked up she saw it was Ron she had walked into.

His face and arms were covered with bruises and cuts and burns, but Ginny knew they all looked just as bad.

"Where the hell have you been?" she spat.

"In the backyard, with everyone— what's wrong?" he asked, seeing the angry, bewildered expression she must have had plastered on her face.

She softened up and sighed. "I just heard from one our darling distant cousins—"

"One from Muriel's side, I s'pose judging by your sarcasm—"

"Yes, and believe me, I was happy to go to battle than see her again…"

Ron quickly suppressed a grin, given the fact they were at their brother's wake.

"Margaret said that Harry had been injured last night… is this true?" Ginny didn't know what was true about Harry anymore. She blamed it partly on Great Aunt Muriel and Rita Skeeter and her stupid book on Dumbledore.

Ron blinked, his ears turning bright red. Ginny groaned because she knew this was always the first sign Ron displayed when he was guilty of something or lying.

Ginny pursed her lips, staring daggers at her brother, a hand on her hip. "What do you know then? Spill it!"

"I know that he's all right. He forced me not to say anything—so don't look at me like that. Mum doesn't know- she'd freak out if she knew. Dad does though. But since Cousin Margaret knows, looks like it's all over the Prophet now.

"Mum is going to murder you and dad!"

Ron reddened even more so. "Look, he stayed in the hospital wing last night and he's just told me he discharged himself to come to the funeral. He left without Madam Pomfrey knowing. McGonagall's already told him off about it. He's gonna' be in big trouble if Pomfrey sees him again." Ron shook his head with a weak chuckle. "Don't worry Ginny, he's fine."

They walked through the house towards the back door.

"What curse was it?" Ginny asked, stepping into the early summer breeze, and sunlight bathing the backyard. There was a gaggle of people of the younger persuasion here: DA members dotted the yard in small groups. Katie Bell sat with Alicia Spinnet, and Oliver Wood with Cho Chang. Fred and George's numerous friends and vaguely familiar dorm mates were scattered here and there. Charlie was there with Percy, sitting next to the Patil twins and Seamus.

"Sectemsempra—"

"Seriously?" Ginny knew what results the slashing curse could bring after Harry had used it on Malfoy more than a year ago. Harry was lucky to be alive.

"Like I said, he wouldn't be here if it was worse than you think."

Harry sat with Hermione and Luna. Neville had now joined them, talking. They seemed stunned at the information Neville was relaying to them. Ginny had no doubt in her mind he was talking about the Currows regime at Hogwarts and filling them in on the stuff they missed out on during their hectic year in the wilderness.

"I found her..."

"I can see," Harry replied, looking up from where he sat against a tree. Ginny was glad to see a smile on his face. A spider was happily dangling above his shoulder and she knew if Ron saw such a tiny little thing, he'd freak out.

Harry wore the same dress robes he had worn for Bill and Fleur's wedding, but they didn't fit well on him after months of starvation and made him looked skinnier than she remembered; the hollows in his cheeks were a dead giveaway and his eyes had sunken in a little. She could see that he was pale, almost white, and sporting just as many injuries as Ron. There was a healing cut on his face and a deep bruise on his temple and one on his jaw. His knuckles were scabbed as he absent-mindedly picked at them. His hair was cut short again, though still unruly. Just the way she liked it, Ginny thought. She noted that his green eyes were masked in purple, making him look exhausted and older than his almost eighteen years. He still needed more sleep, she mused. Had he gotten any sleep since the day after the battle?

Hermione interlocked her arm with Ron's as he took his position next to her.

"It was a beautiful funeral, Ginny. Poor George, I've never seen so distraught—"

"Lee put a smile on his face with those rude fireworks though and his eulogy raked laughs," Ron said, reminiscing. "Made mum cry harder though… wasn't sure if it was because it reminded her of Fred, or the fact that it was inappropriate…"

Ginny crossed her legs; sitting on Hermione's other side. She didn't want to sit next to Harry, yet even now he seemed to be avoiding her glances, deciding to stare at anything but her.

Hermione pulled her into a comforting hug. "How are you?"

"Hanging in," she said sadly. "But we'll all be fine eventually…"

"Of course, it's going to be awhile before everyone gets back on their feet." Hermione smiled lightly, squeezing Ginny's hand, but at the same time giving Harry a communicable look.

Ginny wondered what Harry and Hermione's relationship had been like during their year on the run. She felt all of a sudden jealous. She wanted to know the extent of their closeness. But another part of her shook her by the shoulders and screamed at her, _look at how cosy she and Ron are, holding hands. Do you see Ron brushing her hair away from her face? They kissed during the battle! Harry and Hermione are just friends, you idiot! _

_Why didn't Harry seek me out and kiss me too?_ Another voice rang inside her mind. _He almost died without saying goodbye…_

Ginny needed to calm herself, she was being irrational. There was a lot she didn't know. She would eventually find out, but for now, she needed to let everyone rest.

"I think… It's going to be difficult for awhile," Neville said, pulling out a tuft full of long grass. "Grandma's really proud of me… She even framed the article about me… but…" he closed down, deciding not to say what he felt. He grabbed another handful of grass, plucking it out of the earth rather roughly.

"We're all proud of what we've achieved," Hermione piped up, "It's not often that you hear of teenagers helping to defeat an oppressive regime."

The all nodded in agreement.

Luna blinked away her thoughts. "It's nice to finally sit together and talk about stuff… I mean obviously not in too much detail. I don't think we are ready to tell our personal stories just yet," Luna added rather dreamily.

Luna herself had suffered after being kidnapped and held hostage at Malfoy Manor. Had they tortured her as well?

Luna was right though. Each had their own horrific stories too raw to say out loud.

Ginny watched Luna daze off, eyes scanning the blue sky. Neville remained passive for awhile. Hermione rested her head on Ron's shoulder and Harry just stared at his entwined fingers.

Apart from having lost a brother and in constant fear of losing the rest of the family, witnessing, being a victim or forced to participate in torturing students at Hogwarts, Ginny had escaped a lot of the trauma her friends and family had endured. At least that's what she thought. Maybe she did suffer a lot, but she didn't feel it. Ginny didn't feel the full impact yet.

"I've, um, booked my trip to Sydney, Australia, a week from today," Hermione spoke, rather hesitantly. "I went to a travel agent yesterday afternoon and finally booked it. It shouldn't take more than a week to bring them back, I hope. Kingsley had contacted the N.S.W Auror Department to track them down. I have their home address now."

"Are you sure you don't want Ron and me there with you?" Harry interjected.

"No!"

"Bit rich coming from you, Hermione," Ron snorted, "_We have to go with Harry on the _hunt_, we can't leave him alone, he needs us_," he said, mimicking her voice.

_Hunting for what?_ Ginny suddenly thought.

"This is different. These are my parents. I took their memories away and now it's my problem to fix it up and bring them home. I just need to do a little more research. I've gotten a lot of information from Madam Pomfrey about this, and she's referred me to see a Healer at Sydney Magical Hospital's Department for Magically Altered and Damaged Minds and get my parents their specialised help."

"I'm with Ron on this, Hermione. I needed you just as much as you need us! We are coming with you! What airline are you going with? I'll book me and Ron a tic-"

"Ticket on what?" Ron said, confused, "ticket on one of those Muggle flying machines? Awesome! But we can always Apparate there? It'll be a lot easier."

"_Aeroplanes…_ and I will absolutely not Apparate there!" Hermione spat. "We might be proficient in Apparating to places now, but I don't trust us all to travel half way around the world like that! I'd rather go the safe way this time."

"_We_… _us_, aahh, that means we're going too now," Harry nodded to Ron.

_Harry leaving for Australia with his friends and I'll be stuck here alone again_, thought Ginny.

Neville seemed to be intrigued by the conversation. "I'm interested in going too, if you don't mind, I've got a cousin who lives there…" he asked cautiously. "That's if it's ok—"

"Of course it would be, mate! No need to ask, just come…" Ron beamed, clapping Neville on the back. "Luna are you coming?"

"Oh no, I think I must stay with daddy. I don't want him left alone so soon after the War, but it would've been wonderful! There are interesting colonies of Blibbergoinks that hide in creek beds… I believe the locals tend to call them Bunyips…"

Ginny crossed her arms. She knew her mother would not let her go. Harry looked furtively at her, hoping perhaps she would? Her heart quickly fluttered. Maybe she will ask her parents to go on a small holiday. It might do her some good.

"Harry, there you are, may we have a quick word with you?" Kingsley booming, but soothing voice rang. McGonagall was by his side; her eyes quickly scanned them all. Ginny felt as though they were all about to get into trouble

"Er… sure…" Harry pulled himself up, and Ginny noticed how much pain the strain of getting up was causing him.

"Ron, Neville, I need to talk with you as well."

"Us too?" Ron and Neville said together, looking at each other.

Kingsley nodded; walking away with Harry, Neville and Ron scrambled up and followed.

Ginny watched them like a hawk as Kingsley and McGonagall spoke with them. They were all surprised by what Kingsley was telling them.

Neville and Ron were spiritedly discussing their conversation with Kingsley as they sat down again. Harry remained behind. McGonagall was speaking to him now. Ginny noticed how unhappy he seemed.

"Guess what?" Ron started, excited.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, "It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with Auror training and investigating and prosecuting Death Eaters would it?"

Ron's excitement died down, and Neville snorted in laughter at the look on Ron's face. "How do you know?"

"Kingsley approached me earlier on and I said I wasn't interested but would be happy to help in other areas of governing," Hermione beamed. "I'll help when I get back from Australia."

"Yeah that's what Neville and I said too. I wonder what McGonagall's telling Harry now?" Ron craned his neck, surveying his best friend's still frame.

"It might have something to do with what had happened last night. He's pushed himself to the limit. He really needs to rest now." Hermione sighed, watching as well. "I was hit with the curse in the Department of Mysterious… but the Death Eater didn't use the spell correctly otherwise it would've done just as much damage as it did to Malfoy, George, and now Harry…"

"What exactly happened last night anyways?" Ginny asked.

Neville spoke first. "We were clearing some of the rubble that that collapsed in a classroom and two Death Eaters that had been in a pocket within the rubble survived. They cursed a couple of people, Harry chased after them. I followed, as well as an Auror. We found Harry on the floor, unconscious, his back and right side was slashed. Lucky Harry had managed to put a leg locker curse on one of them, but the other one had hid behind a statue, cursed Harry as he cursed the other Death Eater. He escaped after."

"Shit!" Ron exclaimed. "Wish I was there now, but I had to help out with Fred's funeral arrangements."

"Hmm, I'm rather happy staying out of the action for awhile," reproached Hermione.

The discussion between Harry, Kingsley and McGonagall was over and Harry trudged back to their little group, black robes flowing behind in the gentle breeze. He looked more forlorn than when Ginny first saw him.

"What happened, mate?" Ron asked.

Harry did not sit back down with them. His hands were deep in his pockets, shoulders slumped a bit. "I'm not allowed to help at Hogwarts or the Aurors until I've recovered. Either that or go to Hogwarts and be stuck in the hospital wing. Weighing the options McGonagall's given me, I'm stuck…"

"Well maybe it's a good thing…" Ginny said, "You need to get better and you need sleep."

He mumbled something which sounded like that she didn't understand and walked off, entering the Burrow. Ginny felt hurt.

"I think we might leave soon," Hermione said, watching the Burrow's back door close. "I need to do some more research on Memory Charm reversals and possible disastrous side effects and Teddy's nap is due."

Ginny thought she was right about Teddy. As she and Hermione entered the house, Teddy's high pitched squeals penetrated each room.

"Through that room, dear." Her mother had pointed Andromeda and the baby to a spare room beside the kitchen with a fire grate for them to Floo through. With so many people for the funeral, the Ministry had opened up two more fireplaces within to Burrow to the Floo Network to accommodate the influx and out flow of people.

"Goodbye Mrs Weasley. Take care," Hermione hugged her. "We'll be over for dinner on Saturday. Ron's invited us."

"It will be my pleasure dear, anytime." She smiled, but the warmth that usually framed her round motherly face was now filled with sadness. "Harry dear…"

"Goodbye Mrs Weasley." Harry hugged her as well.

Great Aunt Muriel sat at the kitchen table sipping a cup of tea, watching Ginny's mother steer Harry by the shoulders into the light.

"I've just heard what happened to you, Harry." She cupped her hands onto his peaky bony face and felt his forehead. "You're starting to burn up," she added, quite alarmed. "Are you sure you don't want to stay here? I can help treat your injuries."

Harry shook his head, "I'm fine Mrs Weasley. I'm being looked after."

"Yes, but…" her voice turned into a whisper, "Mrs Tonks looks like she's the one who needs looking after… and that poor baby..."

He shrugged, "I'm there for Teddy, and Mrs Tonks has gratefully allowed us into her home."

Her mother pursed her lips. "Harry do you honestly think you can look after him? You're barely of age!"

Ginny leaned against the doorway, rolling her eyes at her mother. Could her mother possibly feel a twinge of envy?

Harry sighed in frustration, quickly looking to Hermione for help. "Mrs Tonks will be Teddy's guardian, not I. I'm just his Godfather. But I know what it's like, first hand, being an orphan and I will do everything I can to protect him and make sure he gets to best start in life!"

"Oh yes!" Great Aunt Muriel chuckled. "After the entire pittance Albus gave you, my dear boy, I'm not surprised you'd want to protect the Werewolf's child!"

Ginny groaned. Aunt Muriel had finally spoken.

"Sorry?" Harry asked, pulling himself free from Ginny's mother's suffocating grasp.

Her mother whipped her head back and just stared into Muriel's face. Her expression could've murdered kittens, Ginny thought.

Teddy continued to cry in the next room. Hermione sighed a little too loudly.

"Oh come on, boy, the whole world knows about you!"

"Knows what exactly? Everyone knows about me! It's a bit hard to get away from that fact!"

"Knows what _he_ did to you—"

"Harry let's go," Hermione urged. It was that point, Ginny knew that Hermione knew. Obviously it was Harry who was in the dark about _The_ _Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore_ book by Rita Effing Skeeter.

Aunt Muriel got up, shook her gnarled finger into Harry's face. "I don't care that you saved us, Potter! The fact you had a sordid relationship with Dumbledore doesn't change my opinion of you! You're damaged goods!"

"Muriel!" Ginny's mother gasped, shocked.

"Er… What are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"You were playing_ more_ than just teacher's pet, Potter."

If eyebrows could skyrocket into deep space, Ginny thought Harry's might at that very moment. He looked confused and surprised by such an outburst. Then the realisation of the words hit him. Ginny saw the anger in his eyes.

"You shouldn't speak to him like that!" her mother yelled.

"I can speak to anyone how I want too. Molly, you're a wonderful mother, but think what's best for Ginevra! Do you really want the skeletons this boy has in his broom closet to taint this family even more that's been done through the Wars."

Mrs Weasley roared, "He's just saved us from _You-Know-Bloody-Sodding-Who_!"

"—Let's go, shall we," Ginny said, heat rising to her face, leaving her mother to deal with Muriel. She grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him as far away as possible from her great aunt toward the spare room that had a fireplace for them to depart from.

"You're great aunt is one piece of work," Harry observed as they quickly walked in.

Hermione looked at him sympathetically, biting her lip. Andromeda on the other hand watched on calculatingly, rocking crying Teddy in her arms. She had obviously heard the heated conversation as she waiting to Floo, even above Teddy's cries.

Andromeda brushed away Teddy's blue hair, handing him over to Hermione. "Harry we have to leave, Teddy's tired— Ginny you're welcome to come over to my house anytime you'd like. You're welcome to stay over tonight, if you like."

In the Kitchen, the witches continued to yell into each other's faces. Ginny hesitated. She knew very well what Muriel was talking about but this wasn't the right time to discuss it with Harry, even though she had many questions she wanted to ask him about his childhood.

Ginny touched his arm; he seemed to have calmed down. "Thank you Mrs Tonks, I might pop over soon, if that's ok." She studied Harry's face for a moment.

"Yeah, stay over… Just make sure your mum's ok with it, though," Harry added, whispering, "I don't think she's happy with me staying with Mrs Tonks…"

"Mum just thinks you're her long lost son. She's protective of you. You just do what you need to do. Anyways, please don't worry about what Great Aunt Muriel said. She's a little nuts sometimes…"

"I'm getting used to the nuttiness this world brings." He watched Hermione and Teddy disappear in a whirl of green flames.

Andromeda continued to stare at him as she pinched a bit of Floo from a flowerpot next to the grate, dropping it into the fire making it roar into life again. It was that moment, as the green light illuminated her face that Ginny was a taken aback at how really similar in looks she was to her Death Eater sister, Bellatrix Lestrange. The expression on her face was judging and cold and Ginny didn't like it one bit. When she disappeared, Ginny let out a sigh of relief.

And then it was just Harry and Ginny in the room.

"I've got to go…"

They were alone for the very first time since Ginny gave him his birthday kiss almost a year ago. She waited a moment to make sure no one would enter. The argument in the kitchen had subsided; there was silence, except for the crackle of green flames in the grate.

She waited. He waited.

Ginny looked around and pulled him into the broom cupboard that the room held, wanting a little more privacy. It was small room filled with various amounts of buckets and brooms and a ladder and spare kitchen utensils. Ginny even spotted old broken toys she had had as a child. It was a childhood that seemed so far away now.

"What are we doing in here?" Harry switched on the light. A spider weaved a web overhead.

"I missed you…" she finally whispered, hoping he felt the same way.

The little space they had between them abruptly felt miles apart. Ginny left the door slightly open, this was in case the air became stifling… suffocating.

"I missed you," she repeated again, this time a little more loudly in case Harry didn't hear. Though she knew he had heard clearly the first time.

Harry was silent; he averted his eyes, confirming her doubts about his feelings. _Oh God… _Ginny thought.

But she needed to know right then and there. Harry always needed a bit of coaxing with it came to relationships. She was always the one to initiate the kiss. Ginny even heard that Cho had been the one to kiss him first. It was never Harry first. Ginny stood on her tippy-toes, placed her hands on his shoulders and parted her mouth slightly, moving in. She could hear his rapid breath and she could smell his sharp cologne.

Then he pulled back quickly. "I can't..."

Startled, Ginny almost tripped onto Harry.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, backing against the wall. He bowed his head, hand covering his eyes, as though one look at her and he might crumble.

She regained composure, her cheeks reddening with embarrassment, meanwhile she was sick to her stomach and she wanted to puke right there and then. _He doesn't love me anymore…_

The silence felt like a vice.

_How could I be so stupid!_ Ginny crossed her arms. A part of her wanted nothing more then to run out of the cupboard, out of the house, and keep running. However, another part wanted to know what Harry was thinking, to tell her it was over.

"Harry?"

But when he looked back, Ginny saw the tears he was blinking back in his bright green eyes.

What she understood then had nothing to do with their intimacy. Her heart suddenly ached; she felt ashamed at her selfishness, this wasn't a good time to want to get closer to him in any sense, but that of comfort and love and friendship.

Yes whatever Harry was feeling about her was different to what she had anticipated, though it wasn't as straightforward as she thought it was a second ago.

She had always imagined the moment she would see Harry again, once the War was over. She imagined and expected him to kiss her, tell her how much he missed her, and how much she meant to him. She may have experienced a lot, but she was naive to think that there would ever be a kiss or a vow of love so soon. Right now, she realised that just because the war was over, it didn't mean life returns to normal. It never does.

She bit her lip, hesitation in her heart as she moved toward him until they were only millimetres apart. She cautiously rubbed his arm waiting for him to make the first move.

He didn't say a word. She could hear his shallow breathing. She could almost hear his frantic heartbeat.

"Whatever it is you're feeling, I'm here for you—"

He nodded slowly, he avoided looking at her. And then he suddenly pulled her into a tight hug, startling her. It was almost too tight for Ginny's comfort.

It wasn't like the condoling hug he gave her at Hogwarts, this was different, and this travelled deeper than words, deeper than what had happened to her family. She knew that if he could, he would've squeezed tighter just so he could get his entire message through. And even if he did, Ginny doubted that he would be satisfied.

This hug was for Ginny alone, and it was a hug that sung of a thousand hurts, and spoke of all his suffering. He had been in the centre of the war, and even though he was a war hero, it had shattered him.

It was a hug hoping that Ginny was the cure he needed.

Now that it was all over, all his emotions, his feelings, his memories had bubbled to the surface… It was all seventeen years worth of wounds and longing breaking free from the deepest fathoms of his mind that he had locked away.

She wrapped her arms around him, and she wouldn't let go, unless he made the first move of course. He needed this, she thought. He desperately needed it. She imagined that her arms were the glue holding the broken pieces together.

It felt like an eternity.

"Are you ok?"

Harry didn't let go. "I don't know," he replied.

"What do you feel?"

More silence…

"I-I feel empty… I was so happy when he was gone, but now… I don't know what to do…"

"It will get better," she whispered. "You never had a chance to be safe. You always felt hunted. It'll take time getting used to security and happiness."

Harry nodded, his head still resting on her shoulder. "It's stupid, but I feel so lost too…"

"Whatever you're feeling isn't stupid at all." Ginny ran her fingers through his black hair, "I'll help find you again."

Then he sobbed. Harry had finally let his feelings out in the form of tears. His arms tightening around her again and Ginny felt his tears on her skin, hot tears trickling into her blouse, turning cold. His sobs racked against her body, echoing through every bone and muscle in her.

"Shhhh, it's ok." She stroked his hair and his back, not daring to even pull a finger away from him. Her mother was right; his skin was hot to the touch.

He lost a lot. More than most, and now the war had destroyed a part of him as well. They will never be the same again, Ginny pondered sadly. There was no happy ever after, just a sort of relief.

"I'm sorry I didn't want to be with you during—"

"Don't say it, Harry, I know." Ginny interrupted. "You needed to do whatever you had too. I would've been a distraction." Of course she wanted to be with him, to help him but it was a lie if she thought anything different.

"When I went into the forest to die… right before Voldemort tried to kill me… you… you were the last thing I thought about."

Ginny breathed out a sigh of relief, tears spilled from her eyes. Seeing Harry dead in Hagrid had been devastating, but knowing now that he still loved her that much, loved her to his dying moment meant the world to her. She hugged him tighter with all the strength she could muster.

"Hey Ginny what are you doing in—" Ron said, opening the door wide. His eyes widened, realising the moment between his sister and his best friend. _"Oh." _

He had enough tact to disappear quickly. Ginny was grateful for that. Even Ron had matured this past year.

Harry was stunned. It was as though he had suddenly woken from a trance and he knew where he was and what he had done. He almost jumped out of her arms.

As Ginny had guessed, Harry broke the hug first. But she knew he hadn't been ready to break it.

"I've really got to go." He wiped his eyes with his robe sleeve.

Ginny entwined her fingers into his before he could escape. "Harry, please get some sleep. I'll be over tonight. I'll be over after seven." She didn't want to be there for their dinner. That would be awkward.

"I have nothing to do now, but sleep and get better," he said morosely as they stepped out of the broom cupboard.

Ginny felt as though there had been a Dementor in the broom cupboard as well as Harry. She felt exhausted and teary. She watched Harry step into the grate, he waved before he too disappeared and nothing but tiny green flames was left behind.

Ginny waved at the empty fire grate. It was then she saw the blood on her hands. Heart thumping, she would need to contact Hermione immediately about it. Harry's wounds had opened up.

Harry's blood… Ginny continued staring at the crimson liquid staining her fingers.

He poured blood, sweat and tears, even his life into finishing Voldemort off. He looked after others, and put them ahead of himself. It was time Ginny helped Harry heal more ways than one. She had after all a debt to pay him for saying her life in the Chamber of Secrets.

Little moments like kisses could wait longer, she thought. What Harry needed from her now was different. They all needed to heal first.

* * *

**Please read and review**

The third one shot will be The Makeshift Nursery, stay tuned for that.


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